Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Laos instead of United States, you would:

be 85.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Laos, that number is 5.3% of people.

live 15.4 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Laos, that number is 65 years (63 years for men, 67 years for women).

Economy

be 65.9% less likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Laos, that number is 1.5%.

spend 39.4% less on taxes

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6%. In Laos, the top tax rate is 24.0%.

make 87.6% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Laos, the GDP per capita is $7,400.

be 45.7% more likely to be live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Laos, however, that number is 22.0%.

Life

have 88.8% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Laos, there are 23.6 babies per 1,000 people.

be 14.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Laos, 197.0 women do.

be 8.6 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Laos, on the other hand, 49.9 children do.

Basic Needs

be 13.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, 100% of the population has electricity access. In Laos, 87% of the population do.

be 76.1% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access. In Laos, about 18.2% do.

be 23.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In United States, approximately 99% of people have improved drinking water access (99% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas). In Laos, that number is 76% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas).

Expenditures

spend 42.0% less on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Laos spends 2.9% of total GDP on education.

spend 88.9% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Laos, that number is 1.9% of GDP.

Learn more about Laos

Laos is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 230,800 sq km. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.

How big is Laos compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.